Panther Island Ice Skating

Located in the Coyote Drive-in, Panther Island Ice is an outdoor ice skating rink that can be enjoyed from November 17 through January 15. Their weekday hours are 3:00pm-10:00pm and their weekend hours are 11:00am-11:00pm. Another plus about this fun activity is “cheap skate Tuesdays.” Each Tuesday, skating price drops from $12 to $6. Make sure to take all of your friends and family and you will receive a group discount.

Gaylord ICE

Gaylord Texan is a mega hotel in Grapevine. While it is known for fun activities all year long, there is nothing like Christmas at the Gaylord. November 14 through January 4, visitors can enjoy ICE! Featuring The Nutcracker. This is a winter wonderland with over 2 million pounds of ice sculpted into slides and tunnels. You can enjoy Christmas lights or even go snow tubing. The room is kept at 9 degrees, so I recommend dressing in layers, but they will give you a warm coat which makes for great pictures of our whole group in matching giant coats. Gaylord ICE is great for all ages as a babysitting activity, family outing, or even a date.

“I have been going to Gaylord Ice since I was 8 and it never gets old,” Savana Blahitka ‘18 said. “I go every year.”

Holiday at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

The Dallas Arboretum will be celebrating the holidays the entire month of December with numerous activities available daily. You can visit Santa, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph and real-life Reindeer. Visit and take pictures with 500 angels in the DeGoyler Mansion of the garden, too. This activity would be a perfect place to take young siblings or cousins over the break.

Watters Creek Celebration of Lights

Enjoy a free light show at the specially designed Watters Creek Celebration of Lights in Allen, Texas. It is a three-minute show that includes 145,000 lights and eight reindeer that are synchronized to music. The show also has live music and roaming carolers, free trolley and carriage rides, free hot chocolate and s’mores, craft activities, fireworks and Santa. This is a cheap, fun activity for a night during the holiday break.

Six Flags

For all of those roller coaster lovers out there, Christmas at Six Flags is an experience that you cannot pass up. Christmas-themed rides include Blitzen’s Wonderland Mountain, Candy Cane Lane, and the Christmas Tree Forest.

“I love Christmas at Six Flags because its full of fun lights and everyone around is so happy,” Lauren Newton ’18 said.

Freezing from waiting in the lines outside? Warm up inside the cookie decorating and craft room that is stocked with hot cocoa and other goodies.